4 ms·

> What is the "Archive" icon even supposed to depict? The lower part of a printer, with a sheet of paper sticking out? It's a storage box (also known as a "ban

> What is the "Archive" icon even supposed to depict? The lower part of a printer, with a sheet of paper sticking out? It's a storage box (also known as a "banker's box"), used for long-term storage of documents or other office materials. [1] I guarantee everyone in a computer/IT setting has seen one. [1] https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/6275549/Office-Depot-Brand-Standard-Duty-Corrugated/ https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/6275549/Office-Depot-...

marcus_holmes 3y ago
I was confused by the author's ignorance about this, too. How do you work in the industry for 25+ years and not know what an archive box looks like?
- Findecanor 3y ago
  Because an "archive box" is a thing that is not necessarily a common occurrence in office culture around the world. The author is Swedish. Google's translation of "archive box" is "arkivlåda". That is not a thing over here, and is not even in the dictionary. An image search for the Swedish word resulted in many boxes that looked very different. And even if I see it as a box, it looks also like a box of printer paper to me. (It's the "Fresh paper" icon! :) ) Either way, you are diverting away from the main issue of the paragraph: Would you recognise what the icon represents even without the text?
  - solardev 3y ago
    I've worked in America for 20 years and I never knew about this either. I just thought that was a regular cardboard box, and it never occurred to me the archive icon is trying to depict such a thing. I always just thought it was an ugly file folder or something. I never had to use such a box in real life.
    - albedoa 3y ago
      > I never had to use such a box in real life. Okay but that type of box was all over the national and global news this year: https://www.google.com/search?&q=trump+bathroom+documents&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?&q=trump+bathroom+documents&tb...
      - theultdev 3y ago
        There's those types of boxes everywhere! Whether it's chinatown[1], a garage[2], or a secured area in Maralago. [1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-classified-documents-house-oversight-committee-kathy-chung-testimony/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-classified-documents-hous... [2] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/12/additional-documents-marked-classified-found-in-bidens-wilmington-garage-00077680 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/12/additional-document... But it seems a bit too off-topic for this thread, dunnit?
        albedoa 3y ago
        I can't wait to learn what you think this thread is about.
        solardev 3y ago
        This man uses the archive button
      - solardev 3y ago
        I pretty actively try to stay away from orange man escapades. I'm sure we'll get more than enough when he's president / evil dictator for life again /sigh
  - masswerk 3y ago
    I can second this: While I do know that kind of box as depicted, I've never owned one and I have never used one. (However, plenty of rectangular cardboard boxes.) It's a very cultural thing and it really stresses you imagination, if it isn't an item that is consistent with your world, but rather manifesting a competing concept. If there are also alternative interpretations available, thanks to the drawing style, this doesn't help particularly.
- jessriedel 3y ago
  He knows what a cardboard box looks like. He didn't know that the thin rectangle on a square is supposed to be a cardboard box, or that a cardboard box is supposed to represent "archive". Cardboard boxes are just as often used for moving things.
- Derbasti 3y ago
  I have never seen a box like this anywhere except in document storage closets in American movies. They are not a thing in Germany, as far as I can tell.
  - mcphage 3y ago
    Interesting—what do you use for document storage in Germany? I'm always on the lookout for new storage ideas for managing all my crap.
    - Derbasti 3y ago
      Binders.
jessriedel 3y ago
I've seen plenty of cardboard moving boxes in my life, and I've seen the archive icon uncountable times, but it never occurred to me that's what that icon is supposed to be. A thin wide rectangle on top of a square could be a bajillion things. If they wanted to depict a box, they should have shown 3 dimensions.
- ashleyn 3y ago
  A hole punched for the handle would've made it a lot more obvious.
blacksmith_tb 3y ago
That and the disbelief at the little wrench-and-screwdriver icon both seemed weirdly misplaced. Anyone can point out dozens of weak icons, I snicker at every floppy disk and phone too. But it'd take a real visual poet to find a perfectly unambiguous tiny picture to convey the meaning of "archive" - what, a little library? Scrapbook? I'd say there's an unwritten law of iconry, it shouldn't be completely wrong, but it can't really be completely right.
Izkata 3y ago
I always thought it was a printer, but representing a document to be stored in one of those boxes.

marcus_holmes 3y ago

I was confused by the author's ignorance about this, too. How do you work in the industry for 25+ years and not know what an archive box looks like?

Findecanor 3y ago
Because an "archive box" is a thing that is not necessarily a common occurrence in office culture around the world. The author is Swedish. Google's translation of "archive box" is "arkivlåda". That is not a thing over here, and is not even in the dictionary. An image search for the Swedish word resulted in many boxes that looked very different. And even if I see it as a box, it looks also like a box of printer paper to me. (It's the "Fresh paper" icon! :) ) Either way, you are diverting away from the main issue of the paragraph: Would you recognise what the icon represents even without the text?
- solardev 3y ago
  I've worked in America for 20 years and I never knew about this either. I just thought that was a regular cardboard box, and it never occurred to me the archive icon is trying to depict such a thing. I always just thought it was an ugly file folder or something. I never had to use such a box in real life.
  - albedoa 3y ago
    > I never had to use such a box in real life. Okay but that type of box was all over the national and global news this year: https://www.google.com/search?&q=trump+bathroom+documents&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?&q=trump+bathroom+documents&tb...
    - theultdev 3y ago
      There's those types of boxes everywhere! Whether it's chinatown[1], a garage[2], or a secured area in Maralago. [1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-classified-documents-house-oversight-committee-kathy-chung-testimony/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-classified-documents-hous... [2] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/12/additional-documents-marked-classified-found-in-bidens-wilmington-garage-00077680 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/12/additional-document... But it seems a bit too off-topic for this thread, dunnit?
      - albedoa 3y ago
        I can't wait to learn what you think this thread is about.
      - solardev 3y ago
        This man uses the archive button
    - solardev 3y ago
      I pretty actively try to stay away from orange man escapades. I'm sure we'll get more than enough when he's president / evil dictator for life again /sigh
- masswerk 3y ago
  I can second this: While I do know that kind of box as depicted, I've never owned one and I have never used one. (However, plenty of rectangular cardboard boxes.) It's a very cultural thing and it really stresses you imagination, if it isn't an item that is consistent with your world, but rather manifesting a competing concept. If there are also alternative interpretations available, thanks to the drawing style, this doesn't help particularly.
jessriedel 3y ago
He knows what a cardboard box looks like. He didn't know that the thin rectangle on a square is supposed to be a cardboard box, or that a cardboard box is supposed to represent "archive". Cardboard boxes are just as often used for moving things.
Derbasti 3y ago
I have never seen a box like this anywhere except in document storage closets in American movies. They are not a thing in Germany, as far as I can tell.
- mcphage 3y ago
  Interesting—what do you use for document storage in Germany? I'm always on the lookout for new storage ideas for managing all my crap.
  - Derbasti 3y ago
    Binders.

jessriedel 3y ago

I've seen plenty of cardboard moving boxes in my life, and I've seen the archive icon uncountable times, but it never occurred to me that's what that icon is supposed to be. A thin wide rectangle on top of a square could be a bajillion things. If they wanted to depict a box, they should have shown 3 dimensions.

ashleyn 3y ago
A hole punched for the handle would've made it a lot more obvious.

blacksmith_tb 3y ago

That and the disbelief at the little wrench-and-screwdriver icon both seemed weirdly misplaced. Anyone can point out dozens of weak icons, I snicker at every floppy disk and phone too. But it'd take a real visual poet to find a perfectly unambiguous tiny picture to convey the meaning of "archive" - what, a little library? Scrapbook? I'd say there's an unwritten law of iconry, it shouldn't be completely wrong, but it can't really be completely right.

Izkata 3y ago

I always thought it was a printer, but representing a document to be stored in one of those boxes.